band spotlight (Bad Girlfriend)

B A D   G I R L F R I E N D

via bad_girlfriend @ Instagram

I've got a weakness for all-girl bands. Current favorites include HAIM, The Like, First Aid Kit, and Little Mix. Then there's duos like Tegan & Sara and CocoRosie who've helped to bridge together those tough, slippery years of adolescence, while The Runaways influenced my style as I entered high school. And last but not least, the legendary groups I grew up with that I'll never forget: Spice Girls and Destiny's Child.

I came across Bad Girlfriend a few weeks ago and currently have their self-titled EP on repeat. I've got to say, "Bad Girlfriend" just has to be one of the greatest band names I've come across recently. Don't let their name fool you, though -- the only breakup you're going to want as a result of their music is with that of your busy agenda, so you can relax with their songs all day.

Based in Williamsburg, New York, Bad Girlfriend consists of the talented Christian Owens, Brianna Lance, Savannah King, and Lyla Vander. You might recognize Brianna Lance as the head designer at Reformation.

As for their sound: think beachy. Think of those tunes you play in the car that get you to roll your windows down. And with spring break around for the most of us, this is the band to add to your vacation playlist. (They're first on mine!) Bad Girlfriend straddles that blissful territory between soft and hard rock. If you like bands like Best Coast, you'll definitely enjoy Bad Girlfriend's music!

Anyway, they've got some upcoming shows: at the Bowery Ballroom on the 24th and at Grasslands on the 25th. Unfortunately I'm all the way here in San Francisco, so if you're in New York, you should definitely drop by, have fun, and tell me all about it so I can pretend to listen to you as my jealousy takes over. (Only kidding -- I promise I'll listen to you and live vicariously through your story. But I will be jealous.)

So far my favorite tracks are "Feelings", "Boxer", and "Tricky". I've been listening to them while getting ready in the morning and it's got the right amount of pep I need. Their stuff is perfect for the upcoming sunnier days. (I'll leave my favorite shoegaze songs for cloudier forecasts.)

You can listen to and purchase their songs here at their Bandcamp page.

Follow Bad Girlfriend:

Twitter

Instagram
Website (hosted on Tumblr)

an afternoon with Shelley (guest starring Lady Danger!)

I've been on the internet for as long as I can remember. 

Actually, looking back, I think I was one of the first kids in my community/circle of friends whose family got internet at home (my dad worked with computers). 

That being said, I've experienced various phases of the Internet through the social media platforms that fueled them. Be it talking about fan theories on forums, filling out surveys on the Myspace bulletins, discovering the world of fanfiction, making Livejournal icons -- yeah, each are parts of my past I look back at fondly...with the occasional cringe. 

Some of my most formative years were those I spent on Livejournal. Before Tumblr came into the picture, rather than scrolling through a blue dashboard and laughing at gifs, I'd be reading my fellow friends' journals and posts from communities who shared my interests. There are many aspects of Livejournal I miss terribly -- I liked the privacy, the communication system (Tumblr asks and replies just aren't the same), and the general sense of family I feel is easily lost in the image-heavy nature of Tumblr. Don't get me wrong: I do like Tumblr, I've been on there since 2008...but there are just certain parts of it that cannot compare to Livejournal. 

Anyway, I've made great friends at Livejournal, and have kept in touch with some of them since most of us have migrated over to Tumblr. Today I got to meet one of my longtime internet friends, Shelley! We've known each other for so long (around 8 or 9 years) that neither of us even remember how we came across each other, apart from our shared interest in Harry Potter (the fandom from which many of my earliest and oldest internet friendships stem from).

She was here in San Francisco for the weekend and I got to spend a few hours with her today. 

After meeting up at Coffee Bean we walked over to Cako Bakery for some cupcakes. I wouldn't say I'm a major sweet tooth but I really love their cupcakes! I've had their macarons in the past, though in terms of San Francisco macarons I'd still say Chantal Guillon is my favorite. 

We ate them over at Union Square Park (less crowded than it is on the weekends, but it's still a tourist spot so there was still a crowd) while reminiscing about the Livejournal days. I tend to be more open with friends I've met through the internet (even while we're talking in public) as I've basically got nothing to hide from them. Since I've known Shelley for so long and since she practically watched me grow up via Livejournal entries, I rambled on and on about those golden days.

Then we stopped by the newly opened MAC Cosmetics store. I wasn't planning on purchasing anything -- I've managed to get by just lusting over the Lady Danger shade for several months now -- but one of the employees applied it for me and...well, I caved. It's my first MAC lipstick and I'm already ridiculously impressed with it. I've always wondered if it was worth the price and oh man it definitely is.

Our last stop was Yerba Buena gardens where we relaxed (after battling with stubborn wind as we attempted to take multiple photos together). 

We said our farewells at her hotel a short walk away. Unfortunately she had to leave quite early, but I'm confident we'll see each other many times in the future! 

Another great thing about keeping in touch with internet friends is that since we're usually in different places, I don't have to worry about being alone in a new place most of the time! In fact, I've got my eye on a certain city for this spring break...but I'll save that for another post! I've got a lot ahead of me.

After our goodbye, I stuck around downtown for a while browsing clothes and accessories. I got a pair of sunglasses to replace some I broke recently. (Tip: Don't run after a train with your sunglasses on your head, because not only might you miss your train anyway, but your sunglasses might break. Mine did.) They're very cute, and reminded me of the Karen Walker Northern Lights sunglasses I hope to own one day.

Needless to say, I know which two things I'm going to be wearing a lot this season.

All in all, today was well spent. Shelley and I were lucky that the weather was absolutely perfect today! Sunny, breezy, not quite 70 degrees. After walking around a lot, that gets to be pretty hot for me, actually.

I admit I have no idea how to dress during the warmer months. (Trying to pack for New York last summer was absolute hell. Walking around New York last summer was even worse, save for the great places and great people.) Some of my favorite pieces tend to be those that are more suited for the fall and winter: coats, sweaters, boots, etc. I'm one of those. Usually I just go for one of my striped shirts and wear it with jeans or a skirt. I recently got a new striped shirt with red stripes and wore it today for the first time, and I already know it's going to be a favorite of mine this season. Breton stripe shirts go with literally everything -- I wore mine with a leather jacket.

After scoring those sunglasses this photo of Alexa more or less summarizes my simple outfit for the day, save for the shorts that I swapped for jeans instead. The Lady Danger shade matches the stripes on my shirt!

Anyway, I've got another band spotlight post coming up next. Also, I'm planning to replace my broken laptop with a new one this month, so I hope to get back to my artwork and start up some outfit posts! 

My spring break doesn't start till the 21st, and to say I'm excited would be a terrible understatement.

More details soon! Thanks for reading.

gustav klimt @ CF, art update

Hey!

I've got a lot going on right now, so I'll save a longer update for another time. For now I'm just here to link to another College Fashion article I wrote, as well a quick art update.

This time the post features outfits inspired by Gustav Klimt and his painting titled "Water Serpents II".

Read on to learn more about Klimt, and to see three outfits
inspired by his entrancing painting.

Art update: 

My laptop with all my art stuff (and programs) is still busted and I haven't replaced it yet, so I haven't been able to do any digital art. My scanner still works though -- looks like I'm going back to regular pencils for a while.

Anyway, it was only a matter of time till I drew the HAIM sisters (who I still can't stop listening to). Click the image to go to the original post on Tumblr.

I'll be back soon!